In no other country or culture, was the concern with beautification and body care so extensive. Their interest in beauty transcends time- it is not restricted to a specific period. Cosmetic implements, particularly eye-makeup palettes, have been discovered in the earliest graves. Yet Cleopatra VII, last of the Ptolemaist, was herself credited with writing a book of beauty secrets, an art that she was universally acknowledged as mastering.

Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcended economic status. Although many of the artefacts that we are able to analyze today derive from the upper classes- kohl tubes bearing the names of Nefertiti and her daughters have been found, for instance- body care was considered a prerequisite for all Egyptians. Records show that sufficient body oil for daily use was one of the basic supplied issued in the form of wages paid to even the lowliest workers. Cosmetics and body care were a common daily concern cutting across all society divisions, just as they do today. 

Body care was no triviality, but a central part of daily - and economic- life. Egyptians used body scents and incense (for fumigation of the body and clothing and medical as well as temple use) in tremendous quantities. Most of it had to be imported. After timber, the trade in cosmetics was perhaps the chief reason for Egyptian foreign commerce. Modern interest is piqued by Egyptian funerary practices and yes, many aromatic substances were necessary for the after-life and for religious practices, yet they also held many uses for the living. 

Ancient Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcended gender lines. Women and men both used cosmetics and body oils. 

The need for skin protection and moisturizers in a hot, arid climate was perceived as necessary for both genders.

Both sexes, of all classes, oiled their bodies regularly. Many of their ancient formulae remain to us: while some were obviously targeted towards women (there are several suggestions for the removal of stretch marks following pregnancy), the many suggestions for stimulating hair-growth and eliminating bald-spots were probably directed largely towards men. 

Ancient Egyptian concerns with beauty and body care transcend their distance from us. The past may sometimes seem very remote to us, it's interesting all right, even intellectually stimulating, yet we often feel removed from the past, all too aware of the distance of years and history and perceptions. It is hard to envision an area where history and people come alive more than in the study of ancient body care and beauty. No where is the bridge between humans more firm and sure. Egyptian concerns mirror our own. They, too, worried about weight gain and hair loss. An ancient manuscript is entitled The Beginning of the Book on How to Make the Old Young. A title like that could be a best-seller today. If we could time travel and speak to the individuals of long ago, the subject of body care would be easy common ground. 

Our extensive knowledge of the Egyptians' beauty regime can be credited to their burial customs and also to the arid climate which preserves artefacts so well. The earliest graves contain cosmetic implements, not only eye palettes but also tweezers and razors. Later tombs contained sealed unguent pots. The perfume industry of ancient Egypt was justifiably famous; the scents contained in these pots lingered even when they were opened thousands of years later. Wig boxes have been found in graves, the remains of ancient wig factories located. We are now able to scientifically analyze and catalogue the contents of cosmetic and perfume jars. We know, for instance, that the Egyptians had access to and used some 21 different types of vegetable oils for cosmetic purposes, a vast repertoire even by our standards. Many are still in use today. 

They were very conscious of body odours and associated unpleasant smells with impurity.

Good smells indicated the presence of the sacred. Once again, we run into the unity of the holistic. To be healthy, attractive and magically-protected, one must be clean. To begin her toilette, the well-groomed Egyptian woman washed herself thoroughly with a special cleansing paste made from water mixed with natron. Natron is a naturally occurring compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. It is most famous today as an integral component of the mummification process yet it had many daily uses in Egypt as well. They made a toothpaste from natron. 

Myrrh was particularly beloved by the ancient Egyptians, note Pharaoh Hatshepsut's expedition to Punt to bring back actual botanic specimens. Myrrh had many uses, in ancient Egypt and in modern aromatherapy. Then, as now, Myrrh was indicated for healthy gums. 

Exfoliates, depilatories, anti-wrinkle cream. Methods for the elimination of stretch-marks, halitosis and unpleasant body odours. Hair extensions. This all sounds pretty modern, but the all was here thousands years ago.